Monday, March 6, 2017

Review: Kill Without Shame (ARES Security #2)

Kill Without Shame (ARES Security #2)

by Alexandra Ivy

Blurb:
Five brave military heroes have survived the hell of a Taliban prison to return home—and take on civilian missions no one else can. They’re the men of ARES Security. Highly skilled, intimidating, invincible, and one by one, tested again and again…
 Lucas St. Clair’s prestigious family had a political future neatly planned out for him—one that didn’t include his high school sweetheart, Mia Ramon. Under their pressure, Lucas gave her up. But since surviving captivity, he’s a changed man—and a crucial member of ARES Security. When he discovers a dead man clutching a picture of Mia that bears a threatening message, his fiercest protective instincts kick in, and he knows he must go to her.
 Mia has never forgiven Lucas for breaking her heart, and she’s convinced her feelings for him are in the past. But it’s soon clear that isn’t true for either of them. Now, determined to solve the crime and keep Mia safe, with his ARES buddies backing him up, Lucas will have to reconstruct the murder victim’s last days—and follow a lethal trail that leads right back to the fate of the woman he still loves…
Themes: Contemporary
Rating: 4.5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
 Wow I have read a lot of second chance for love stories, but this story has got to be one of the most interesting and well-written I have read in a LONG time. I have read everything ever written by Alexandra Ivy and, though they vary in theme, heat, and length, I have never read one that I didn’t love and Kill Without Shame did not let me down.  Ivy has a way with both her characters and her writing that brings readers to her and makes them into loyal fans with the first read.  While the first story in this series led me to think this series was going to have a bit of the paranormal mixed in with the contemporary aspect, this second novel is straight contemporary and more than awesome all on its own.  Lucas left his hometown in Louisiana a long time ago, leaving behind the girl he loved, trying to escape the influence and unhappiness of his family life. Now that he has found his place in the world, when a threat to the woman that still holds his heart is presented to him, there is no way he won’t protect her and work to earn her forgiveness and love back.  Mia on the other hand is in no mood to forgive, even after Lucas repeatedly saves her life; soon it becomes obvious that the danger to Mia is very real and it isn’t going away.  Mia and Lucas—along with his friends and fellow ARES members—work to uncover the mysteries of the past in order to unmask the individual that looks to see Mia dead.  Full of intrigue, twists and turns, Lucas and Mia’s story is one that reminds us all that while love may be pushed to the back of our minds, our hearts never truly stop loving, even when doing so hurts.  I enjoyed getting to know more about the slick and suave Lucas St. Claire, seeing him give his all to solve the mystery surrounding his woman, while at the same time working to convince her that she can’t live without him any longer.  He is that guy that on the outside looks like he has everything he’s ever wanted and nothing bad ever sticks to him, but on the inside he is slowly bleeding out without the heart that Mia stole from him a decade earlier.  Mia is a woman that has made the best of her humble beginnings, becoming a successful business owner and putting her mark on her hometown, but she has never forgotten the young man that shattered her heart and has never been able to find someone to put it back together for her.  When Lucas comes back into her life, sharing the bad news that one of their childhood friends has been murdered, her world shifts in more way than one.  Now Mia can no longer deny that though he broke her heart, he also kept it for himself and until she can come to terms with that loss she will never be able to move on with her life. The passion between these two was off the charts, whether they are arguing, fighting for their lives, or coming together in the heat of the moment, there is no way to deny the spark they set off whenever they are in the vicinity of one another.  I loved this story and cannot wait for more in this series.  The other men of ARES are going to be intriguing to watch as they fall under love’s spell and I am looking forward to being a fly on the wall when they do.  And of course, we are all dying to find out who is threatening Hauk and see him kick some bad-guy ass. Ivy strikes gold again with her new ARES Security series and as long as she keeps these amazing and interesting stories coming my way, she will always have a fan in me. Thanks for the awesome escape from my rather mundane reality as I enter the world of the amazing men that are ARES.

*ebook provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.

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